The Rate of Adverse Events Related to Hypnosis During Clinical Trials.

The rate of adverse events associated with medical and psychological interventions is important to regulators who oversee clinical research. There have been relatively few reports on the frequency of adverse events associated with hypnosis. The current article collected data from a publically available register (ClinicalTrials.gov) on adverse events reported during clinical trials that used hypnosis. The rate of serious adverse events likely attributable to hypnosis was 0%. The rate of other adverse events was 0.47%. This rate was similar to previous reports. However, several trials in the register that used hypnosis did not report adverse event data. For the trials that did report adverse events, there was substantial variability in reporting. Another limitation was the lack of generalizability as all studies included in the analysis used hypnosis to treat side-effects related to medical conditions or procedures as opposed to psychiatric conditions. Future clinical trials using hypnosis should use more precise assessment methods to report adverse events, especially when tested in samples with mental health disorders.

Effect of Functionally Significant Deiodinase Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on Drinking Behavior in Alcohol Dependence: An Exploratory Investigation.

BACKGROUND: Abnormalities of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis have been reported in alcoholism; however, there is no definitive agreement on the specific thyroid abnormalities and their underlying mechanisms in alcohol dependence. The biological activity of thyroid hormones or the availability of T3 is regulated by the three deiodinase enzymes: D1, D2, and D3. In the context of alcohol use, functionally significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of these deiodinase genes may play a role in HPT dysfunction. METHODS: This study explored the effect of three functionally significant SNPs (D1: rs2235544, D2: rs225014, and rs12885300) of deiodinase genes on drinking behavior and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in alcohol-dependent (N = 521) and control subjects (N = 288). RESULTS: Rs225014 was associated with significant differences in the amount of naturalistic alcohol drinking assessed by Timeline Follow Back. Alcohol-dependent subjects had significantly higher TSH levels compared to controls; however, there was no effect of genotype on TSH levels for either group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings extend previous studies on thyroid dysfunction in alcoholism and provide novel, albeit preliminary, information by linking functionally significant genetic polymorphisms of the deiodinase enzymes with alcohol-drinking behavior.

Brief report: The Brief Alcohol Social Density Assessment (BASDA): convergent, criterion-related, and incremental validity.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol misuse is substantially influenced by social factors, but systematic assessments of social network drinking are typically lengthy. The goal of the present study was to provide further validation of a brief measure of social network alcohol use, the Brief Alcohol Social Density Assessment (BASDA), in a sample of emerging adults. Specifically, the study sought to examine the BASDA's convergent, criterion, and incremental validity in relation to well-established measures of drinking motives and problematic drinking. METHOD: Participants were 354 undergraduates who were assessed using the BASDA, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and the Drinking Motives Questionnaire. RESULTS: Significant associations were observed between the BASDA index of alcohol-related social density and alcohol misuse, social motives, and conformity motives, supporting convergent validity. Criterion-related validity was supported by evidence that significantly greater alcohol involvement was present in the social networks of individuals scoring at or above an AUDIT score of 8, a validated criterion for hazardous drinking. Finally, the BASDA index was significantly associated with alcohol misuse above and beyond drinking motives in relation to AUDIT scores, supporting incremental validity. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these findings provide further support for the BASDA as an efficient measure of drinking in an individual's social network. Methodological considerations as well as recommendations for future investigations in this area are discussed.